A 13-year NHL veteran that spent time with Washington, Dallas, Tampa Bay, Los Angeles, Montreal and the New York Rangers, Halpern enjoyed his finest moments as a member of the Capitals prior to the 2004-05 work stoppage. He scored a career-high 21 goals in 2000-01 and a career-high 34 points in 2003-04.

In the later stages of his career, Halpern forged a niche as an effective penalty killer and defensive forward. Last year he split time between the Habs and Rangers, appearing in three of Montreal’s five first-round playoff games against Ottawa.

Last week, Halpern lamented to the Washington Post his inability to find a new NHL gig under the reduced salary cap.

“I still know I can play the game, it’s just whether you get an opportunity to prove that point,” Halpern told the Post. “I wouldn’t say it throws you into thoughts of retirement, but it definitely makes me reflect on a lot of points of my career.”